Sunday, April 19, 2015

Want to see bad pictures of an Oriental Cuckoo? No? Well another Tony does, so here we have distant flight at Tyto the other morning. Only the two in-flight images, so lucky to have contrasting wing positions. No Orientals seen last year: 3-4 late-season birds last few weeks.

Sticking with less than perfect, Black-necked Stork with wriggling eel. Had to stop on Cattle Creek bridge on main (Bruce) highway for quick shots with Troopy's diesel motor pounding but got lucky break in traffic.

Friday, April 3, 2015

Ask White-bellied Sea Eagles. Quick count below two Leichhardt trees at Mungalla Station came to 16 victims. And the birds have other, more favoured, trees around the wetlands.

Just another Eastern Grey Kangaroo. But the sturdy male is one of just four seen lately along the road towards Wallaman Falls. My first sighting of the species in the Ingham area in 15 years. Perhaps the inland drought has pushed them east.

Another uncommon grey sighting, Slatey Grey Snake, crossing a track near the upper parts of the Wallaman road. Inoffensive and unconcerned by my approach, the 1.2-1.3m snake is the first I've seen in Seaview Range rainforest. Who knows, I may have been the first human the snake has seen? But probably not.

More often seen, though possibly a trifle unsighted itself, Sacred Kingfisher with cracked and dried nictitating membrane stuck in place over right eye. Wasn't hampering bird's darts at grasshoppers in Mungalla hymenachne.

Curtain of silken threads in Tyto on a recent morning marks overnight exodus of small caterpillars from their breeding and feeding places in leaf-ravaged Cheese trees. Some trees lose all green leaf, yet bounce back for more next season. And one day I'll learn the caterpillars' future.

Thought I knew about Black-necked Storks' future when this pair stood around and later sat around on Mungalla nest. Seems they had second thoughts. Birds have since been together fishing, successfully, along Palm Creek most mornings. But no more nesting or breeding behaviour.

Bit of sporty behaviour from Mungalla youngster: low jump from old stock ramp. Can be a long wait between bovine action shots.

And the water Olympics may be cancelled this Wet for want of the wet stuff. These two should be shoulder high in it at this time of year. Pretty. Dry. Eh?